Trench-mortar



A. G. BERGMAN.

TRENCH MORTAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1919.

1,399,243... Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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tartar caries;

AXEL G. BERG-MAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., -ASSIGNOR TO ORDNANOE ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF NEW YOBK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Eamon-MORTAR.

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Application filed February-24, 1919. Serial No. 278,869.

To all whom it may comer-n:

Be it known that I, 'Am BERGMAN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing in the borou h of Manhattan, city, county, and State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trench- ;Mortars, of which the following is a specification. o My invention relates to that class of structures known as trench mortars or guns for comparatively short ranges, to be used for discharging illuminating shells and other projectiles, and the" purpose'is to provide a portable device that can be set up and operated in' any location and under most adverse conditions. 7

One of-the purposes of my improvement. is to enable positioning a mortar .in soft or muddy ground, entirely embedding the rear end if it becomes necessary, and without interfering with the proper control and operation of the mechanism.

Another object of the improvement is to provide means for insuring expulsion of a projectile through the proper and accurate positioning of the primer and propelling charge, which governs the discharge of the projectile, with reference to the firing pin in the mortar.

The invention comprises, in general, a barrel which is entirely closed at the rear end, the latter serving to support a firing pin which forms a part of a firing mechanism that includes an actuating rod located outside the barrel and extending toward the .front thereof. The actuating rod referred to is provided with a controlling member located at a point remote from the rear end of the barrel suficiently to enable setting the rear end on any kind of ground and hav-' ing it project beneath the surface ofuthe ground if necessary, while the firing mechanism can be adequately manipulated from the front end of'the barreh. The firing-pin is preferably arranged-l withina' guide that constitutes an extension .at* the center of the rear end of the barrel,.;and-}this extension cooperates with guiding means in theform of a cup-shaped member, or other suitable device, mounted upon a holder for Specification of Letters Patent.

has an outwardl% receives a cap Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

the primer and propelling charge. This holder may be permanently attached to the projectile to be fired, or removably attached, as the conditions may require; severally or together, they may be dropped into the barrel of the gun, convenience in practice seeming to favorthe utilization of the shell and propelling charge holder with primer I as a unit. This insures proper contact between the firing pin and the rimer, and consequently, the discharge of the projectile under most eflicient conditions.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain details and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, the essential'features of the invention being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional view, illustrating a mortar in operating position, showing the application of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the firing pin withdrawn and the firing mechanism ready for action;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, with parts broken away, showing the details of the construction;-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the holder for the propelling charge and primer, the; latter being connected to a projectile, a ortion of which is broken away; and

ig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a The invention is susceptible of many .dif-

ferent practicalapplications, andfor purposesof illustration, I have shown one embodiment, consistin' ofa barrel A, provided with the usua formof leg B pivoted thereto, and arranged for engagement with I the ground to support the barrel in an upwar y extendin ofthe barrelis 'ormed by a wall G1 having "integral therewith an inwardly projecting collar. a, which; threads into the barrel, as

position. The rear end;

shown clearly in Fig.- 2. The wall (1 also v extending collar 6 which that entirely closes the -rear end .of the barrel and permits the latter to be artially-or entirely embedded in the groun as shown in Fig. 1. The wall C and cap D form a housing which defines a chamber 0 for a purpose presentlyto appear.

The firin mechanism includes a firing pin E which operates through the wall 0, the latter having an opening that receives and constitutes a supporting guide for the firingpin. The guide is formedby an inwardly extending portion 6. formed upon the wall C and located centrally of the end of the barrel, as shown in Fig. 2. a

The firing pin E is engaged by a'lever F pivoted at f in the chamber 0, with its inner end adapted to engagethe outer end of the firing pin. The outer end of the lever f lies in the'pathof an actuating rod G, which is located outside the barrel A and extends lengthwise of the latter toward the front' end. The rodG is housed within a tube 9 which-is supported at one end within an 'opening of the wall C and is held at its oposite end by a suitable strap or support h. he actuatlng rod G carries a controllinlg member, preferably in the form of a bolt which is movable within a housing I. The

actuating rod is operated by a. sprin J, one end of which engages the contrd ling member or. bolt .H, while the op o'site end engages a plate K. The housing is slotted longltudinally at i to permit longitudinal travel of the bolt H from the cocked position of Figkl to the released position of Fig.

2, and is slottedtransversely at and k to permit the controlling member to be retained in cocked position, asin Fig. 1, or to retain the, firingpin in its outermost. posi tion, as in Fig. 2, the latter position being desirable when it isintended to bring about 7 the discharge of a projectile by merely droppmg'lt w thin the barrel of the gun. The

housing I is closed at its outer end by a cap a Z, and arranged between the plate 'K andthe capl is a resilient bufl'er m. of suitably soft rubber, or other material, to take the ,shock of the actuating rod G when it is 1 thrown backwardly upon the explosi on ofa propelling charge. I a Itwill be seen that two methods of operatlon are providedfor. The firing mechanism maybe cocked, ready for action, as in .Fig.

' '1, and a latter wi I I The spring J thereupon moves the actuating projectile inserted, after which the bolt H until it is released from the slot 7'.

rod G and forces the firing pin E against the ,primerpf the projectile. When the parts areposltioned, as in Fig. 2, the firing pin is held fixedly in its outermost position, so that whena projectile is dropped into the barrel, its primer falls into engagement with the point of the firing pin and the propelling charge is immediately exploded.

be discharged upon pulling the.

It not infrequently happens that the propelling charge fails to'explode because the primer does not properly engage the firing pin. To overcome this, I have provided means for guiding the primer accurately to the firing pin, and insuring, in every instance, that the primer will be brought into true and exact firing relationship with the firing pin. This is best accomplished by guiding means cooperating betweenthe projectile and the firing-pin, and to'this end, I have provided a holder for the propelling eharge and primer, adapted to be permanently attached, or otherwise connected to the projectile. A conventional form of projectile 'is shown partially by L, and the g, the ends of which are suitably secured to the holder. In the structure shown in Fig. 3, one end ofthe fabric bag is held in en:

gagement with the plate r of the projectile,

the holder being secured 'to the projectile by the ,screw 8 engaging a correspondingly threaded opening in the holder. The other end of the fabric bag q is retained by tying it around the hollow portion N of the 'holder. The powder will enter through the transverse openings\ '0 and fill the interior of the holder, so that it isin immediate contact with the primer in the socket n. In the-modified form of Fig. 4,providing a holder which'may not be permanently attached to'the projectile, the larger end of the fabric bag is held in' engagement with the base, by providing. a groove t in the latter'and a retaining wire u engaging the .The: holder is provided 'with guiding means which cooperates with the inwardly extending portion eon the rear end of the .barrel, already described, and thereby centers the holderand primer so that the latter contacts accurately with the firing pin. There arevarious ways in which this purpose can be effected, and one method consists in providing the holder with an integral, substantially cup-shapedextension 0, having a beveled edge 0. The inner diameter of theguidi'ng member 0 is'such that, when in final position, it engages closely with the outer surface of the extension e, as shownin Fig. 1. When the projectile, with the holder attached, is dropped into. the front end of the barrel, if there is any inaccurate alinement, the beveled edge v will engage the innermost corners or'edges of the projection portion e, thereby bringing the holder into its proper relationship with the neeaaaa any other such forms of mechanism which are intended to come within the scope of my invention.

When I speak in my claims of a barrel being adapted to have its rear end embedded in the ground, I mean that the barrel may be embedded so' that the ground level is above the level of the firing pin without interfering with the operation of the latter.

What I claim is g A mortar for projectiles and the like, consisting of a barrel, the lower. end of which is adapted to be embedded in the ground, a firing pin located at the lower end and an actuating means located a considerable distance above the lower end, and leak-ti ht means for conveying. movement from t e actuating means to the firing pin.

2. A mortar for projectiles and the like, consisting of a barrel, the lower end of which is adapted to be embedded in the ground, a firing pin located at the lower end and an actuating means located a considerable distance above the lower end, said actuating means comprising a trigger mechanism and leak-tight means for connecting said trigger mechanism with said firing pin. 3. A mortar for projectiles and the like, consisting of a barrel, the lower end of which is adapted to be embedded in the ground, a firing pin located at the lower end and an actuatin means located a considerable distance a ove the lower end, a tube having a leak tight connection with the barrel of the mortar, and trigger mechanism contained in said tube. 4. The combination with a mortar having a firing pin operating in its rear end, of propelling means for a projectile comprising a holder, a propelling charge and primer mounted thereon, and means cooperating between said holder and the end of the barrel and acting to cause the primer to be brought into accurate position with respect to the firing pin, the means at the end of-the barrel guiding the firing pin.

5. The combination with a mortar having.

a firing pin operating in itsrear end, of propellln ing a hol er, a propellln'g charge and prlmer mounted on the holder, and uidin means coiiperating between the hol er an a portion of the barrel, whereby, the primer is brought into accurate relationship with the a propellin means'for a projectile compris firing pin, the means 'at'the end of the barrel guidm the firing pin. a

6. T e combination with a mortar having a firing pin operating in its rear end, of a' supporting guide for the firing pin including an inwardly extending portion located centrally of the rear end, means for propelling a projectile comprising a holder, charge and primer mounted thereon, an means on the holder adapted to cooperate with said inwardly extending portion, whereby to insure accurate tioning of the primer with reference to the firin pm a 7. Ihe combination with a mortar having a-firing pin operating in its rear end, of a supportlng guide for the firing pin including an lnwardly extending portion located centrally of the mal en'd, means for propelling a projectile comprising a holder, a propelling charge and primer mounted thereon, and a substantially cup-shaped guiding portion on the holder which cooperates with said inwardly extending portion on the barrel and effects accurate relaositioning of the primer and firing pin;

tive

8. hecomblnation with a mortar having posia firing pin operating in its rear end, of a y supporting guideiincluding an inwardly extending portion located centrally of the rear end, means for propelling a projectile comprisin a holder which ishollow for a portion 0 its length andhas o enings extending transversely of said ho low-portion, a powder charge surroundin and also within said hollow portion'and eldin place by retaining means, the holder having a primer socket at one end, and iding means surrounding the primer soc et and adapted to coiiperate with the aforesaid inwardly extending portion on the barrel to efiect accurate relative positioning of the primer and firing pin.

9. The combination with a mortar having a firing pin operating in its rear end, of a supporting guide including an inwardl extending portion located centrally o the rear end, and 'a projectile having propelling means attachedv thereto and comprising a holder, a propelling charge and primer mounted on the holder, and means on the holder adapted to cooperatewith said inwardly'extendin portion to efiect accurate relative positioning of the primer and firing pin.

10. The combination with a mortar having a firing pin 0 erating in its rear end, of a supporting gui e for the firing pin including-an inwardly extending portion located centrally of the rear en .and projectilepropelling means" com rising a holder, a

attaching the holder to a projectile, and

guiding means on. the holder adapted to cooperate with said inwardly extendin por tion and effect accurate relative positioning 5 of the rimer and firing pin.

11. gun or mortar embodying a bore, a closed breech, a centrally dlsposed firing pin, and a trigger mechanism embodying a plunger for functioning the firing pin or locking said firing pin in fixed position at v1o the option of the gunner.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

V AXEL Gr. BERGMAN. 

